CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP: ADVANCING EMPLOYEE GROWTH AND ORGANISATIONAL SUCCESS

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) has become essential in nurturing individual growth, organisational effectiveness, and strategic adaptability within today's knowledge-based economies. This article examines the multifaceted impacts of CPD on both employees and organisations through the lens of authentic leadership, drawing upon recent and authoritative academic literature. By synthesising evidence from global organisational studies, authentic leadership theories, the article explores six core themes: the conceptual foundations of Continuous Professional Development (CPD); Its impact on employee development and engagement; benefits for organisational performance and culture; synergic influence of authentic leadership; emerging challenges and barriers; and the strategies for designing impactful CPD programmes. The study article underscores the pivotal role of authentic leadership in fostering a culture that promotes lifelong learning, psychological safety and sustainable growth and development. The article also presents actionable recommendations for integrating CPD with authentic leadership practices, with the aim of enhancing adaptability, marketability, trust, creativity and long-term value creation and addition.